Lana held onto her husband with one hand and on her dress with the other. Sam’s hand was warm but hers remained cold, sam smiled but she kept looking down with no expression on her face. One excuse, she was a normal shy bride but the real excuse; within the deeps of Lana, she wished something different. Sam and Lana had gotten to the bottom of the stairs when the first person to approach her was her father. He had the broadest smile on his face and Lana smiled gently then when she saw him. She gave him her cheek and he kissed her strongly and at least Lana felt she was making someone important happy in her life… even if it wasn’t herself. She expected her mum to be behind her father but all she saw were other relatives and a string of long guests coming to congratulate. She also couldn’t see her sister Julia. As they approached the platform Lana knelt on Sam’s hand so she could lift herself up on it where the bride and groom chairs awaited them. Lana glanced at Sam and saw him smiling back at her; she couldn’t smile back. Then the important men of the family had gathered around; these were the men to marry Sam and Lana. Mum turned her body away from the house and folded her arms. ‘’now look here, I’m missing out on my daughters wedding’’, then she turned to Reem once more.’’ If you dare try one of your tricks tonight, I will call the police.’’ The threat in her voice could have been more than needed to threaten a whole country. But then she calmly turned to Julia, “and you… you are coming with me and there will be nothing more of this matter inside…do you understand?” Julia stayed quiet not understanding but convincing mum otherwise was impossible. “I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”, “yes”, Julia trembled. “Good, now go”, Mum waited to see Julia walk in front of her. Julia’s feet were hard as stone, not just from standing all that time on her heels, but as if they were shocked from all that was happening too. Julia glanced at Reem one last time who was positioned behind Mum. Her eyes were silently pouring rivers of tears. Julia felt deeply sorry for her, but now she felt even sorrier for her sister. “Do you Lana take this man to be your husband?” Lana thought pretending not to hear the question was too much fantasy. Convincing herself this was the only thing she could do, was more appropriate. “Yes”. The old respectful man with his wise wrinkled hand gave Lana an ink pen. Lana held it to write her name down next to Sam’s whose signature was just freshly wet and drying happily where it wanted to belong. Her hand froze near the page. Then she signed her name. To her, her signature looked dull and flaccid, as if it wasn’t her name. To everyone else it must have looked right because the old man closed his book and said happily, “I now pronounce you man and wife”. Lana then looked up to see her mum smiling, maybe even a tear of joy on her face or was it sweat, she couldn’t make out and next to her Julia was crying as if this wasn’t a wedding.
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